Mail-carrying device.



T. R. NBISWANDER. MAIL GA'RRYING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1912.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nu-mentor wi/lmmoc o T. R. NEISWANDER.

MAIL CARRYING DEVIGE.

APPLIOATIONTILED MAR. 12, 1912.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET z.

Learner: NEISWANDER ans an mos.

MAIL-CARRYING DEVICE.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed March 12, 1812. Serial no. ceases.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THORNTON R. Nms WANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holmesville, in the county of Holmes and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Carrying Devices,. of which the fol.- lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to mail carriers and has particular reference to a mail carrier which may be used in connection with the rural delivery service.

The principal object'of this invention is the production of an efficient carrier which may be employed for carrying the mail receptacle from a point distant from a dwelling house.

Another object of this invention is the production of an eflicient means for connecting the carrier to the conveyer cable.

With these and otherv objects in view this invention consists of certain novel construc tions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mail carrying apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the cable sup- ,p'orting brackets. Fig. 3 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2. i Fig.

4 is an end view of the distant terminal of y the mail carrying device. Fig.5 is a detail perspective view showing the mail, receptacle support attached to thewindow of a dwelling. Fig. 6 is'alongitudin'al sectional i view of the clamp for attaching the mail receptacle to the conveyer cable.- Fig. 7 is an end view of the vilamp attached to the conveyer cable. Fig. 8 is a top plan view 0ft the post which constitutes the distant-- terminal of the conveyer system. Fig. 9 is .a detail perspective view of the rest of supporting the mail receptacle atthe distant terminal. Fig. 10 is .a longitudinal sectional, view of-the mail receptacle used vinconnection with the present mail carry-' ing system.

Referring to the drawings by numerals 1 designates the support or home terminal which is in the form of an upwardly extend 'ing bracket structure having a flange or angularly extending portion 2 near itsupper end. The support 1 is preferably attached near a window or other opening of'the'de- 'ating pulley 9 is also journa led livery terminal and below extending flange 2 bracket 3. of an angle brace 4c and is provided with a downwardly extending lip 5 for facilitatmg the "admitting of the mail carrying receptacle upon the bracket 3. The flange 2 is provided with a plurality of apertures 6 through which apertures are adapted to pass the conveyer cable 7. This conveyor cable 7 passes over a drive pulley 8 which is journaled upon the support 1. An operupon the support 1 and is rotated through the me-, dium of the crank 10. A belt 11 passes over the pulley 9, and over a small pulley 12 carried by the pulley 8 for imparting rotary movement tothe pulley 8 when the pulley 9 is rotated.-

A plurality of supportmg posts or stand ards-1-3 are placed at intervals'along the line of travel of the conveyer cable 7 and these posts carry supporting brackets over which is adapted to pass the conveyor cable 7. These brackets which are carried by the posts 13 are supported upon the outer end of the laterally extending arm 14. This This bracket 3 is braced by means arm 14 is braced by meansof angle braces 15. The brackets overjwhich the conveyor cable 7 passes comprises pairof parallel strap'members 16 between theouter ends of which are supported the pulley wheels 17 .The conveyor cable 7 passes over the pulley wheels 17 as illustrated in Fig. 1, and it will, therefore be obvious that these pulleys 1 7 .forma guiding means for the conveyer cable 7. The plates or straps 16 are held in their spaced relation tb rough the medium of a collar 18, which fits over the connecting bolt 19.

The pulleys 17 are journaled upon the journal bolts 20 as illustrated in Fig. 2, and

the inner ends of the bolts 20 pass through the laterally extending ends 21 of the'angle brackets 22. These angle brackets 22 fit respectively upon the upper and lower faces of the outer end of the arm lt, and are held firm y upon the outerend of the armthreugh tie medium of the securing bolts 23. For the purpose of shielding the cable supporting brackets, a shielding hood 2 1 is provided which hood overhangs the up per ends of the brackets and extends upon each side thereof so as to prevent ice or other obstruction from forming upon the upper L and the lower bracket. having its 30 support the mail carrying receptacle so open end which.

65 sition.

l i oseeee pulley much would veyer cable 7 to This hood 2% is suppoitel by a. pair of divergent aons of the bracket 25 foot 27 secured to the upper face arm l t While the bracket 20 has its an gularly extending foot .28 engaging the side of the post or standard 13, as'illustrated clearly in Fig 2.

The distant terminal of hie. conveyer system comprises 'a post or stand-a d 29 which, like post or standard 13 is provided With a laterally extending arm 30. This arm 30 is braced by means of an angle brace 31 which brace is prm'ided With angularly ex- ,tending feet 32 respectively engaging the arm 30, and standard 29. A Julley suppor ing frame is carried at the outer end of the go arm 80 and comprises a pair of angle plates 38 to the angle feet of which is secured a cninecting plate i journal pin 35 is carried centrally of the plate 34 and upon this journal pin. 35 rolatably mounted a pulley wheel 36, said pulley wheel being spaced from the plate through the medium ot' the collar 3,7.

A plattoru'i (ii-shelf 3-9 is supported be low the pulley 3G ilrSUCll a manner as to I?! (1? lhis shelf or support 38 is braced by means of diver-gently extending braces 40 which braces engage the shelf or support Eli. near its outer end and have their lower ends en- 35 gaging the standard The shelf or support 38 comprises a substantially rectangular bod -'l.-l. which is prori'ded with [longed sides 1.52., and a flanged cnd 4-3. The sides 42 taper toward their rear en ds thereby con- 40 stituting 'an open rear end for facilitating 45 ceptacle from being unexpectedly removed from the support ll.

The mail receptacle WlliCl neetion with the pr sei'it preferably a. rectang 1 is used in con i dex'c, comprises nlai h 1dr inning an closed through the me dium of a pivot door 46. The open end of the receptacle 45 is provided with a transversely extending strip -17, which extends across the lower edge of the opening and constitutes a stop for limiting the inward swing of the door 46 as illustrated in Fig. 10. The receptacle is also provided at its open end, upon the top edge thereof, with a trai'isversclv extending downvardly bent rile 48 which constitutes a shield for preventing n'loistnre or other material from entering the receptacle 4:) at the upper end oi the door, and also constitutes the spring latch for holding the door all in a closed po- A knob 49 nattybe employed for ci itto grater \vidth than the pulley 3G to allow ing; the mail receptacle l5 to rest upon. its support 38 when it brought to this position, so that the arm 51 will clear the pulley and vvill. not be obstructed While the 1ecep lacle -l5'is being brought to rest at the distant terminal. The upper end of the arm is reduced as at 53, and this reduced 1 threaded end 53 pass through the ripen turcd' extension oil the clamp 55" 'llhis clamp 35 is provided with an aperture 0 through which the cvnvcyer cabt T p and this clamp is firmly held in engagement with the cable 7 by means olset scrm 'lhenut 52-; is tlu'cmlcd upon the end 5 for firmly holding the arm 5]. in eng'agcincnt with the clamp 55.

it tension weight fil may be posilioiu-d ll\"' tween any two oi the :daudards i l. and this weight is supported upon the lowc portion of the remover "able 7 as illustrated in Fig. 1 through the medium oi the pulley 10 which pulley is held in engagementwith the weight 59 through the medium oi straps (11.

A signal collar 62 is carried by the coin vo t-er cable 7, and spaced a short distance ahead of this signal collar (32 is a stop collar (33, which is also 'arricd by the cable T. This collar 62 is ot such a size as to pass irough the apertures (3 formed in the 'rxness as to prevent the same fr m passng through the aperture. It will be obvi ous that the collar 2 \vill retard the movement of the cable T as this cable passes ilhrough the aperture (3. thereby signaling to tilt operator that the mail receplzule has nearly reached the op jiosite end of the line. on n other words, is in position to be deposited upon the wmwt 4-1. hese collars are placed sullioiently close together as to allow the mail receptacle to have free movement,from the home terminal to the distant terminal. and as the pulley 8 revolves counter-cloclnrise, it will be obvious that the collar 2 will pass over the pulley and out through i'lll aperture (5 and allow the mall receptacle 35) to bedriiwn to the home terminal lowever, when the pulley R is: revolved in the opposite diree" tior and soon he recepte *le 45 takes @ilion sho l the stop collar of the angular urther travel of in 3 since to prevent the passage thereof through the aperture 6 formed in the flange 2, as above stated.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that a very eiiicient and durable construction has been produced whereby a signal may-be obtained as soon as the mail receptacle has reached its destination there by preventing the dumping of the receptacle which might be possible provided the pulley 8 were continued to be rotated even after the receptacle had reached its destination. Furthermore, it will be obvious that the flange 43 formed upon the support 41 will constitute a stop for the mail receptacle 45.

It will be obvious that the flange 2 will constitute an abutment against which the mail receptacle may be brought as the mail receptacle is conveyed toward the flange 2. It will be further obvious that the movement of the cable 7 will be somewhat retarded as the mail receptacle slides upon the supporting bracket 3, since the supporting bracket is so positioned as to readily engage the bottom of the mail receptacle as the mail receptacle is suspended from the cable 7.

What is claimed is p 1. A mail conveying device comprising a plurality of standards, intermediate supporting pulleys carried'by a set of said standards, a driving pulley carried by one of said standards, an "idle pulley carried by one of said standards, a driving pulley carried by another of said standards, a conveyer cable passing over said pulleys and being adapted to travel over all of said pulleys when said driving pulley is rotated, a mail receptacle fixedly secured to said cable and being adapted to freely pass over said intermediate pulleys, and said idle pulley, a tension device carried by said cable, and signal means carried by said rcable for retarding the rotation of said drive pngley.

2. A mail carrying device compris'ng a driving support, said support provided with an angularly extending member, said ang'u larly extending member provided with a pair of alined apertures formed therein, a driving pulley, a cable passing through said apertures and over said driving pulley, and supporting means for said cable, a mail recepta'clc carried by said cable, a signal collar carried by said cable and of substantially the same size as said apertures formed in said angle extension for causing the movement of said cable to be retarded when said collar passes through one of said apertures, a stop collar carried by said cable and being of greater size than said apertures,

and being adapted to prevent the further parallel members, means passing through said parallel spaced members for holding the same together,.and means interposed between said members for-holding the same in spaced relation. "j

4. A device of the character described comprising a driving cable, a pulley, a mail carrying receptacle, a depending bracket carried by said conveyer cable, means'for securing said bracket to said cable, a supporting shelf, said s elf provided with side flanges, an end fiangebeing adapted to constitute a stop for said mail receptacle, and means for driving said conveyer cable.

5. A supporting. shelf for a mail receptacle comprising a substantially rectangular body having flange sides and a flanged end,

said shelf provided with an upwardly inclined rear open end, and saidup'wardly inclined rear open end constituting means for preventing accidental removal of a mail receptacle from said support. v

6. In a device of the class described 00 prising a support, a conveyer cable, driv-v mg means, a mail receptacle, a mail receptacle supporting arm, a clamp fixedly secured to said cable and provided with an ing said mail receptacle in engagement with said conveyer cable. v

In testlmony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THORNTON R. NEISWANDER.

Witnesses: R. L. MARQUIS, M. MARQUIS.

copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh,by addressing the Gommissioner of Patehts, Washington, D. G.

upwardly extending lip, said mail recepta- 

